GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — An environmentally-friendly house that's the first of its kind in Kent County will soon be up for sale.
In a sunny, Grand Rapids neighborhood, a mostly unassuming two-story residence, save for its solar panels, has achieved Phius ZERO certification, the "gold standard" for energy efficiency, according to builder Dale Hulst.
"I learn and create in order to help people live sustainably," Hulst said. "My motivation to do this was to do my part, to leave the world in a little better place than when I found it."
As a Phius ZERO building, the energy the house uses is fully offset by renewable energy.
In this case, rooftop solar panels and batteries in the garage capture and store energy. Then, an "airtight envelope" in the house — energy efficient windows and high-quality insulation — ensures that hot and cold air is not wasted. A number of other smart technologies also assist in energy recovery and controlling its climate.
The all-electric residence is capable of reducing 14 tons of carbon emissions per year and 420 tons over the course of a 30-year mortgage, according to Hulst, all while consuming around a third of the energy of a normal house.
"It's been a challenge," he said. "We've learned a lot along the way."
Now set to be sold for $1.6 million, one of the things Hulst has learned is that building the first Phius ZERO house in the county is not cheap.
"I don't even want to talk about the difference between what I first started at and what it ended up at," he said. "I would love to try again and figure out how to make this a more modest, attainable house for an average family."
Yes, it's a price that's not in the budget for most and many, but the parts of the house's energy efficient whole are more affordable on their own and can still make a difference in terms of reducing one's carbon footprint.
"Our personal infrastructure has a big impact on the climate," Hulst said. "For normal folks, I think the lesson is to have a plan to retrofit your house toward all electric and improved insulation and improved air tightness."
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Whether it's swapping out your repair-prone furnace for a heat pump or your gas-powered stove for a induction stove, Hulst believes in what can be accomplished over time.
"Those are decision we make not every day, but every few years," he said. "That makes an impact."
READ MORE: A passive house builder's design for low-carbon residential structure
